This invention relates generally to adhesive attachment assemblies and related mounting fixtures and methods of use for securely installing an adhesive attachment onto a supporting surface or substrate. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved adhesive mounted nutplate and related mounting fixture for securely installing the nutplate onto the blind side of a supporting substrate.
A variety of adhesive attachment devices and related fixturing structures are described and claimed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,302,492; 4,338,151; 4,390,576; 4,668,546; and 4,778,702. More particularly, these patents describe adhesive attachments such as patches, threaded screw studs, etc., for bonding onto a supporting substrate which can be formed of metal, composite material, or virtually any other material. To achieve a maximum bond strength, fixturing structures in various forms are provided to apply a positive force pressing the attachment against the substrate during at least an initial period of time for curing of a selected adhesive bonding agent at the attachment/substrate interface. However, these prior devices and systems have generally been designed for manipulation of the fixturing structures at the same side of the substrate at which the attachment device is mounted. Convenient adhesive attachment configurations and related fixturing devices for blind side installation have not been provided.
In many manufacturing environments, it is necessary or desirable to install components onto the blind side of a supporting substrate. As one common example, nutplates are well known in the automotive and aerospace industries for use in mounting a threaded nut onto the blind side of a supporting substrate, typically in alignment with an access opening formed in the substrate, to accommodate subsequent reception of a threaded screw or bolt. Such nutplates include a floating or fixed nut carried by a base which is fastened to the substrate normally by one or more rivets extending through rivet ports formed adjacent the access opening. Alternatively, adhesive mounting techniques have been proposed for adhesively bonding the nutplate base onto the substrate, thereby avoiding the need to form additional rivet ports. For optimum bond strength, such adhesive mounting techniques require the nutplate to be pressed against the substrate with a positive force during curing of the adhesive material. While the above-cited reference patents disclose a variety of fixture structures for performing this function, those fixture structures are designed to be mounted and manipulated at the blind side of the substrate. Unfortunately, clearance limitations and other manufacturing assembly parameters at the blind side of the substrate often require removal of the fixture structure before the manufacturing assembly process can proceed. Simple and convenient fixturing devices which can be manipulated and ultimately removed from the front side of the substrate have not been provided.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for an improved nutplate with related installation fixture, wherein the nutplate can be installed onto the blind side of a substrate by a fixture which can be manipulated and later removed from the front side of the substrate. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.